a perfect evening in Seaview
 
Patti’s Seaview paradise
Friday, September 7, 2007
Patti’s windowbox on the beck deck
 
Our friend Patti has a dreamy garden in Seaview, where every time we visit her two dogs are joined by other dogs in what seems to be an endless round of dog-sitting canine guests. There were four on the day in early August when we visited to deliver a pot of Cotinus ‘Golden Spirit’ which we’d acquired for her on our travels: Bosco, who eluded the camera, Webster, the Portuguese water dog, and two small ones, one rather bossy. Was the charcoal furniture painted to match The adorable webster? Two guest dogs have a rather intense conversation The charcoal grey furniture throughout the garden provides plentiful sit spots. Back in the days when patti first bought and redesigned this garden, it didn’t have as much open space. My former partner, robert, ended up living there for a year and he, being an expert hardscaper and garden visionary, helped turn one area into a soothing gravel entertainment mecca. Negative space is a positive thing. Just beyond the spacious-feeling gravel-scape is a bog garden with a tiny pond and water plants. The dogs like to stick their noses in here. more water: a driftwood waterfall (another robert creation) and one of the cutest birdbath’s i’ve ever seen places to sit on and near the back porch deck East of the back decks a richly tropical-themed garden with cannas and eucalyptus....(below left) on the morning August 2nd and (below right) again in the evening of August 29th, when we were invited to dine al fresco with friends on the gravel patio. Patti’s one amazing cook so we got salmon with sauce, and prime rib, golden potatoes, a delectable dessert creamy sort of pastry tart, and scones made by Ocean Park guests. It was an unusual evening at the beach: warm, helped along by a propane heater, and we lingered till almost dark in the magical paradise. There were four dogs in attendance, and later five, when the neighbour and owner of the Skookum surf school brought his, so around and round the garden they ran and played and snuffled and romped, making it a perfect evening for a doglover like me.http://www.tanglycottage.com/SecretGardens/Patti/SecretGardens_Patti.htmhttp://www.skookumsurf.com/shapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_1